The present invention concerns an electronic lock, and in particular, such a lock that is equipped to work together with a key equipped with a number of programmable memories, the said lock comprising an activation element, a dormant memory which contains a code, and comparison means to successively compare the said code contained in the dormant memory with the codes contained in the programmable memories of the key.
Such a lock is known, for example, from the French patent application No. 8700764. This application particularly provides the possibility of assuring a power supply to different electronic circuits of the key and of the lock from a battery contained in the key. It also provides that the cylinder of the lock can turn freely when the latter is inactive, and that it does not interact with the bolt until one of the codes of the key has been recognized.
A result of this is that the energy available is necessarily slight, since it must be compatible with the volume and the weight of a key. Therefore, it is not possible to maintain the electronic circuits of the key and the lock in the active state between the time when the code was recognized and when one wishes to maneuver the lock.